Berlin Intermediate’s Emily Sandt draws winning design

The Delmarva Shorebirds, class “A” affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles and Dr. James M. Crouse at The Brace Place, presenting sponsor of the Hit the Books program, honored Emily Sandt of Berlin Intermediate School for winning the 2015 Hit the Books Bookmark Design Contest. Her winning design was distributed to all participating students on the Delmarva Peninsula.

The Hit the Books initiative officially kicks off January 20 and will continue through February 27.

The program encourages elementary and middle school students on the Delmarva Peninsula to read outside of their regular classroom assignments. Students that complete their reading goals receive two free tickets to a Shorebirds home game during the 2015 season.

Sandt’s winning design featured a drawing of Sherman the Shorebird on a baseball field with airplanes flying overhead encouraging students to “Read, Read, Read.”

“Her design perfectly illustrated the goal of the program, to get students to read beyond the classroom,” said Shawn Schoolcraft, Director of Marketing and Community Relations. “We look forward to seeing the kids realize the fruits of their labor at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium this spring.”

In 2015, over 40,000 students from over 100 local schools are participating in the “Hit The Books” program, which is the largest non-school funded reading program on the Delmarva Peninsula.

“Reading books is a favorite pastime of mine and I love to see young people reading books,” said Dr. James M. Crouse at The Brace Place. “Our sponsorship of the Shorebirds ‘Hit the Books’ program is a perfect fit for us at The Brace Place.”

Participating schools will be notified in March about their game date at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium, and students will be honored as part of a pregame parade around the field. For more information, contact the Delmarva Shorebirds at 410-219-3112.

Season ticket and group outing packages are currently on sale for the 2015 season. The Shorebirds offer full season tickets, half season tickets, a 22-game plan and a 12-game plan along with a number of opportunities for groups to enjoy a night out at the ballpark. To secure your seat(s), call 410-219-3112.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Delmarva Shorebirds. Click here to view the original story.

Shorebirds award school $1,000

The Shorebirds Community Fund and Sherman paid a visit to South Dorchester School in Church Creek Maryland to award them a check for $1,000. South Dorchester School was one of over a 100 schools that participated in the 2013 Hit the Books reading program presented by Dr. James M. Crouse at The Brace Place and came in first place in the ticket redemption contest.

Congratulations to all the students, their parents and faculty members of South Dorchester School for a job well done.

Local teachers will be honored for being everyday heroes

Send an email to hero@theshorebirds.com to nominate your local teacher!

Salisbury, Md. – The Delmarva Shorebirds, the class “A” affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, are excited to announce a brand new program entitled “Hardwire Everyday Heroes” in partnership with Hardwire, a local Pocomoke, Maryland company. Hardwire specializes in armor systems for the Department of Defense and has recently applied their armor solutions to school safety applications. During the 2013 season, the Shorebirds and Hardwire will honor teachers throughout the Delmarva Peninsula that are true “everyday heroes.”

The Shorebirds are asking community members and fans to nominate teachers that deserve recognition for excellence in the classroom and helping to enrich the lives of local students. The person nominating the teacher must submit a short write up that explains why the teacher should be considered for the “Hardwire Everyday Hero” award.

The Shorebirds will honor one teacher at each homestand during the 2013 season. The winning teacher will receive the following for being recognized as the “Hardwire Everyday Hero”: four reserved box tickets to a Shorebirds game, four meal vouchers for a hot dog, chips and Pepsi, a team autographed ball, pre-game on-field ceremony recognizing the teacher for his/her accomplishments, the chance to throw out a ceremonial first pitch, an article in the Shorebirds gameday program, an article on the Shorebirds website, and a complimentary bulletproof whiteboard from Hardwire. The Hardwire Bulletproof Whiteboard is a hand-held whiteboard teaching tool; however, it also provides dual use as a last line of defense in the event of a school intruder.

“The Shorebirds are honored to team up with Hardwire to recognize great teachers and promote their new bulletproof whiteboards,” said Shorebirds General Manager Chris Bitters. “We look forward to recognizing the great teachers on the Delmarva Peninsula and creating awareness for the great work that Hardwire is doing.”

George Tunis, Hardwire CEO, says “This program is a great way to recognize the hard work and dedication of the teachers in our community and to say ‘thanks’ for all they do for our children.”

To nominate a favorite teacher, send an email to hero@theshorebirds.com detailing why the teacher is an “everyday hero.” In addition to your nomination, the email should include your name, the teacher’s name and school, and your best contact information.

For more information about the “Hardwire Everyday Heroes Program,” contact the Shorebirds at 410-219-3112 or Hardwire at 410-957-3669.This article originally appeared on the official website of the Delmarva Shorebirds. Click here to view the original story.

Kassidy McConaghy wins 2013 Hit the Books Bookmark Contest

Kassidy McConaghy (middle) is the winner of the 2013 Hit the Books Bookmark Contest

Salisbury, Md. – The Delmarva Shorebirds named Kassidy McConaghy of Milford Middle School the winner of the 2013 Hit the Books Bookmark Contest on Tuesday. Sherman and Shorebirds staff members presented Kassidy with her award during lunch hour at Milford Middle School.

McConaghy’s winning bookmark design will be distributed to all participating students in the Hit the Books program. Over 40,000 students from over 100 schools are involved in this years program.

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The Hit the Books Program, sponsored by Dr. James M. Crouse at The Brace Place, is an initiative to encourage reading outside the classroom. Students that read four or more books outside the classroom receive two free Shorebirds tickets.

“Kassidy’s design demonstrated her outstanding creative and artistic talents,” said Shawn Schoolcraft, Director of Community Relations for the Shorebirds. “Her bookmark captured the true meaning of the program and we’re proud to distribute her winning design throughout the community.”

Sherman the Shorebird will be making appearances to select participating Hit the Books school over the next two months to encourage students to read.

For more information about the program, contact Shawn Schoolcraft at 410-219-3112 ext. 168.This article originally appeared on the official website of the Delmarva Shorebirds. Click here to view the original story.

Free event starts at 10am to support Toys for Tots

Salisbury, Md. – The Delmarva Shorebirds are once again hosting “Cookies with Claus” on December 8 from 10am-12pm in the Executive Club of Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. The event is free and open to the public. Santa Claus and Sherman Claus will be in attendance to get you ready for the holiday season.

The Shorebirds are encouraging everyone that attends to bring a new toy to the stadium, which will be donated to Toys for Tots. Through the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program the toys will be distributed as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children on the Eastern Shore.

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Cookies, coffee and hot chocolate will be served up in the Executive Club.

Each family will have ample opportunity to take pictures with Santa Claus and Sherman Claus. Please bring your own camera to take pictures.

There will also be arts and crafts and games set up in the Executive Club for children.

For more information about the event, contact Shawn Schoolcraft at 410-219-3112 ext. 168.This article originally appeared on the official website of the Delmarva Shorebirds. Click here to view the original story.

Building on a company commitment to fighting hunger in our communities, Perdue is sponsoring the 2011 “Strike Out Hunger” South Atlantic League All-Star Game at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium on behalf of the three Feeding America-affiliated food banks serving Delmarva.

The associated “Strike Out Hunger” Campaign, which will run until the June 21 game, is focused on raising food donations and funds, and encouraging volunteer efforts all across Delmarva to benefit the three food banks.

As Andrea Williams, vice president and controller of Perdue Foods and Maryland Food Bank Advisory Board member, explains, “The ‘Strike Out Hunger’ campaign is a community effort. It’s not a Perdue effort alone, but our associates stepped up to encourage the rest of Delmarva to join Perdue, the Shorebirds and our food banks to strike out hunger on Delmarva. This shows what can happen when people combine their efforts to help the hungry in our communities.”

The two-week food drive engaged associates from Perdue facilities on Delmarva. Associates were able to donate enough food to the three food banks combined to provide more than 7,200 meals for families and individuals on Delmarva.

On April 12, associate volunteers helped unload and sort 3,638 pounds of donated items to the Eastern Shore branch of the Maryland Food Bank in Salisbury.

“For 25 years, Perdue has been dedicated to the support of the Maryland Food Bank’s mission,” said Eastern Shore branch manager Jennifer Small. “This is another example of that relationship.”

The Eastern Shore branch of the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia received 1,218 pounds of food, all from the Perdue Accomac processing plant associates.

“I am truly proud and excited for the Accomac Processing Plant and all of their associates. In a relatively short amount of time they collected over 1,200 pounds of food,” said branch manager Charmin Horton. “We are very grateful to Perdue for all of the support they give to the food bank, not only during this ‘Strike Out Hunger’ campaign, but throughout the year.”

In Delaware, associates, including those at the Georgetown and Milford plants, donated 4,539 pounds of food, which benefitted the Food Bank of Delaware.

“I was amazed how the Perdue team jumped up and started collecting,” said Food Bank of Delaware Milford Branch Manager Crystal Timmons. “They showed us how working as a team makes things so much stronger. The Food Bank of Delaware is blessed to have so many partners stepping up to the plate for ‘Strike Out Hunger.'”

This article first appeared on the official website of the Delmarva Shorebirds. Click here to read the original story.

Club Collects 973 Pounds of Canned Food Items to Help “Strike Out Hunger”

The Delmarva Shorebirds, the class “A” affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, are thrilled to announce that the club has collected 973 pounds of canned food items to benefit the “Strike Out Hunger” campaign associated with 2011 South Atlantic League All-Star Game presented by Perdue. Therefore, Sherman the Shorebird, who was banned last week from Perdue Stadium until the club accumulated at least 500 pounds, has been saved. Sherman will be able to attend Tuesday night’s exhibition game against Salisbury University and the rest of the games because of the generosity of the community.

The Shorebirds kicked off the canned food drive by collecting over 200 pounds of food at the 9th Annual Hot Stove Banquet at The Fountains Wedding & Conference Center.

More recently, on March 26 at the annual Fan Fest event, fans contributed nearly 275 pounds of canned food items. The Shorebirds also raised $124 dollars for the initiative at Fan Fest.

“I was a little worried for Sherman when we banned him from the ballpark, but the overwhelming generosity of our community was amazing,” said general manager Chris Bitters. “The Strike Out Hunger campaign is off to a great start.”

The Shorebirds also received a significant contribution from Ovations Food Services employees and members of the Delmarva Shorebirds Fan Club.

Sherman the Shorebird will be in attendance on Tuesday, April 5 when the Shorebirds play an exhibition game against Salisbury University at 7:05 p.m. Fans are encouraged to bring canned food items to the game. Drop boxes will be located right inside the main entrance to the stadium.

The Delmarva Shorebirds, the class “A” affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, hosted a very successful 10th Annual Hot Stove Banquet on Jan. 30 at the Fountains Wedding & Conference Center. Through a silent auction that featured items such as a Matt Wieters autographed jersey and a Troy Polamalu signed picture, over $1,400 dollars were raised to benefit the United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore. The Shorebirds also collected over 200 food items to kick off the “Strike Out Hunger” campaign, the official initiative of the 2011 SAL All-Star Game, to be contested on June 21 at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

One of the major announcements during the banquet came from 7th Inning Stretch, L.P. president Pat Filippone, who declared that Arthur W. Perdue Stadium will receive a significant upgrade in 2011. The Shorebirds will install a brand new Daktronics line scoreboard to replace the old one in left-center field. The board will feature all the traditional columns including: score by inning, runs, hits, errors and more. Installation of the scoreboard is expected to begin in the middle of February and be completed prior to opening day. The Shorebirds will post periodic updates of the installation process on our website, www.theshorebirds.com.

“I’m so pleased with how the hot stove turned out on many fronts,” said general manager Chris Bitters. “The speakers were awesome, the funds raised for the United Way and “Strike Out Hunger” were phenomenal and everyone was excited about the new line scoreboard.”

The Hot Stove Banquet served as an excellent precursor for the 2011 season. The nearly 150 people in attendance enjoyed speeches by: 14-year MLB veteran Mike Bordick, 2011 Shorebirds manager Ryan Minor, 2011 Bowie BaySox manager Gary Kendall, Orioles Assistant Director of Player Development Tripp Norton, former Shorebirds pitching coach Dave Schuler and more. Fans also had a chance to get autographs from the guests and ask additional questions after the event finished.

In addition to the speeches, guests had the opportunity to bid on the nearly 30 items in the silent auction that ranged from signed baseballs to collectable items from other Minor League Baseball teams. All the proceeds from the auction were donated to the United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore. In addition, Kathleen Momme, the Executive Director of the United Way, was on hand to deliver a powerful message about the importance of the United Way.

All guests that contributed a canned food item to the “Strike Out Hunger” campaign received a free raffle ticket. The Shorebirds raffled off nearly 20 items such as: four tickets to opening day and paraphernalia from other minor league and major league teams. The “Strike Out Hunger” campaign will benefit the three local food banks along the Eastern Shore; Maryland Food Bank, Food Bank of Delaware & Foodbank on the Eastern Shore.

For a fifth consecutive year, the Delmarva Shorebirds and Peninsula Regional Medical Center partnered to put on a “Drive-Thru” Flu Clinic in the parking lot of Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. PRMC administered vaccinations on Thursday, October 21 and Friday, October 22 from 10 am until 6 pm.

“We treasure our relationship with PRMC and we look forward to lending our parking lot to them each and every year,” said general manager Chris Bitters. “We hope that people continue to take advantage of the convenience and care that the “Drive-Thru” clinic provides.”

This year, the two-day clinic administered approximately 5,000 vaccinations according to PRMC Director of Community Relations, Roger Follebout, Jr.

“It has been an incredible relationship with the Delmarva Shorebirds,” said Follebout. “The Shorebirds have provided us with everything we need to successfully run this clinic to accommodate over 5,000 people.”

Peninsula Regional Medical Center has effectively used the “Drive-Thru” model for the last 17 years. The clinic was previously run at the hospital until PRMC went in search of a bigger venue.

“We went looking for a venue that could accommodate 7,000 cars over two days and we found it at Perdue Stadium.” said Follebout. “If we can vaccinate 5,000 people, that’s 5,000 people that won’t get the flu this year.”

Including nurses, hospital administrators and volunteers, between 75-100 people assisted in the overall operation of the clinic.

If you missed the clinic and are in need of more information about vaccinations, please contact Peninsula Regional Medical Center at 1-800-955-PRMC or visit them online at www.peninsula.org.

The Delmarva Shorebirds have teamed up with Sylvan Learning Center and Farmers Bank of Willards to kick off the 2010 “Hit the Books” Reading Program. The “Hit the Books” Reading program is designed to promote reading outside the classroom. Participating students are asked to read four books of their choice and track their progress on the official “Hit the Books” bookmark given to all students. Each book completed gets them to the next base and when they hit their homerun they are rewarded with two complimentary tickets to a Shorebirds game and the chance to set foot on the field and represent their school in a pre-game parade with Sherman.

“We’re proud to participate in this year’s reading program. Sylvan and “Hit the Books” are a good match because we have a common goal- to reach as many students as possible across the Eastern Shore and get them excited about reading. We look forward to recognizing their hard work and achievement at the Perdue Stadium this spring, and we hope the Delmarva community will join us in honoring these great readers as well,” said Becky Grinath, Director, Sylvan Learning Center.

Chris Davis, President of Farmers Bank of Willards also stated, “Hit the Books is a great program, and we are proud to be a sponsor in 2010. This program gives us the opportunity to give back and thank the community for its overwhelming support of the Farmers Bank of Willards. It’s the perfect partnership for a community bank that’s celebrating its 85 years in business and our local students who are the future leaders for our community.”

This season, the “Hit the Books” program will reach more than 45,000 students from 121 schools across the Eastern Shore. To accommodate the growing number of students who complete the program each year, the Shorebirds have added two additional dates, raising the total from six in 2009 to eight in 2010.

“As an organization, we take a lot of pride in our “Hit the Books” program. It is an excellent community outreach program and it is wonderful that we have the opportunity to get such a large number of young students involved in this educational program,” General Manager, Chris Bitters stated. “We are very much looking forward to rewarding all the fine young men and women that completes the program this season with an exciting evening at the ballpark!”

The Delmarva Shorebirds would like to announce that at the Cookies with Claus event with the help of Santa and Sherman, Toys for Tots was able to collect over 100 toys which will be distributed to needy children around the Delmarva Peninsula this holiday season.

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a non-profit organization whose goal is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.

Thanks to the help of local celebrities the Inaugural Shorebirds Float for the Fund was a huge success. On Sunday, August 23 beginning at 5pm WBOC Meteorologist Dennis Ketterer, Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton, Sheriff Mike Lewis, Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt, District States Attorney Davis Ruark and the B95.3 & 101.7’s Karen Stevenson began serving delicious rootbeer floats made up of Georgeo’s Vanilla ice cream and MUG Rootbeer to hundreds of fans, and when it was all said and done over 1,500 floats were dished out to some very happy Shorebird Fans.

Here are some of the stats of the day: 495 commemorative cups sold at $5 apiece, 74 gallons of icecream, 104 2-liters of MUG rootbeer and hours of hard work from our celebrity scoopers. All of this help raised $2,475 for the Shorebirds Community Fund, a newly founded fund through the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, which will be used by the Shorebirds to assist in local youth sports programs.

The Shorebirds would like to thank everyone who helped in support of the event and we look forward to doing it again next season!